Posts Tagged“2005”

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Rich Pisacano, co-owner of Roanoke Vineyards, is a cabernet sauvignon guy, and he and consulting winemaker Roman Roth make some of Long Island's most consistently good cabernet-based wines — no small feat in a cool climate region. But as good as those cabernets can be, this is still Long Island, where merlot still rules. Not surprisingly, the Roanoke Vineyards merlots can be standouts as well. Even in its youth, this Roanoke Vineyards 2005 Merlot ($45/sold out) shows depth and complexity on a nose where black plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit aromas mingle with those of licorice,…

Roman Roth, winemaker at Wolffer Estate (along with Roanoke Vineyards and his own label, Grapes of Roth) makes some of my favorite Long Island chardonnay. His Wolffer Estate 2003 Estate Selection is one of my all-time favorites. Though a bit less refined than the stellar 2003 bottling, the current release — Wolffer Estate’s 2005 Estate Selection Chardonnay ($29) is still a fine example of barrel fermented chardonnay. Extremely toasty on the nose, oak and vanilla scents dominate with juicy-ripe pear aromas peeking through. Medium-to-full bodied with extremely lively acidity, the palate shows rich peach and pear fruit character with butterscotch,…

I mentioned earlier this week that I've been impressed by some 2005 Finger Lakes cabernet francs. Well, this is the one that I liked best in that recent blind tasting. From the moment I pulled the cork, I knew this wine was going to be interesting. Once in my glass, complex aromas of camp fire, black pepper bacon, sweet vanilla, cocoa powder and intense black fruit fill the room. When I re-tasted this wine the next day, the smokiness had stepped back a bit, with fruit coming to the forefront and subtle herbal qualities emerging. Smoke and spice lead on…

If you don't like cabernet franc, you might be reading the wrong blog. And sure, for a long time I didn't have a lot of great things to say about Finger Lakes region reds, but a few have impressed me of late, including this one, Hunt Country Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc ($22). The summer of 2005 brought about great ripeness in vineyards throughout New York and that ripe fruit is on display here. The nose is bright and enticing, mixing strawberry and cherry fruit with black pepper, sweet herbs, and just a little vanilla. Bing cherry flavors, with more black…

Many of the 2005 merlots that I’ve tasted have been big, plush and — frankly — not very true to Long Island’s unique terroir. These reds lean more towards California in style, at least in their youth, and aren’t very good values. Lovers of true Long Island wines should thank Shinn Estate Vineyards for staying true to the region with their Shinn Estate Vineyards 2005 Estate Merlot ($27). It’s a ripe, but surprisingly understated and agile red with blackberry, raspberry and plum on an expressive nose that is filled out with herbs, mocha, earth and vanilla. Similar flavors come through…

I know several pinot noir lovers, who are almost always disappointed by the local renditions they taste. Many are thin, water, terribly simple, and just not elegantly textured. This is a wine that I think will give them what they are looking for. While sipping (and spitting) my way through my weekly tasting lineup the other night, this wine stopped me in my tracks. It stood out among the other wines because of its texture, its complexity and it’s overall deliciousness. It’s the one wine that I swallowed during the tasting and it’s the only wine I reached for once…

This post is a part of my 12 Long Island Wines for Christmas series that will run from now until Christmas 2007. See the entire series here. Two more wines to go I’ve chosen them for two different reasons. Today’s wine, Bedell Cellars’ 2005 Reserve Merlot ($40) was one of the first 2005 merlots to hit the market and it offers a peek at what that vintage might eventually mean for Long Island. This wine’s intensity tells the story of the hot, dry growing season quite well I think. Loads of dense blackberry preserves, fresh figs and cocoa-coffee aromas reach…

Long Island’s 2005 vintage was one for the record books–on a couple fronts. There was the rain. Some vineyard locations received 17 inches of rain an eight-day period–an eight-day period that happened to coincide with with the grape harvest. Most of the white grapes has come in already, but most reds had not. And there were the near-drought conditions before the rain (less than two inches over three months). Those conditions led to smaller-than-usual fruit and some of the most intense fruit ripness in Long Island’s short wine-producing history. Those 17 inches of rain wreaked havoc and several vineyards sustained…